SDSU's planned football upgrades

Coach Brady Hoke’s guaranteed salary may increase to around $850,000 or more, up from $700,000, but he could earn over $1 million with incentives. Athletic Director Jim Sterk said $1 million was the major college football average. Details are still being worked out. In 2005, SDSU head coach Tom Craft made about $400,000.

Two years have been added to Hoke's contract through 2015.

The buyout to end Hoke’s contract -- if another school hired him -- will stay at $1.5 million through next year, Sterk said. His current contract had been scheduled to go down to $1 million after Dec. 15.

Assistant coaches will get salary increases. Offensive coordinator Al Borges and defensive coordinator Rocky Long last year made $205,000. Other assistants made around $118,000.

Facility improvements. A renovation to SDSU’s practice field is planned, plus “hydrotherapy improvements” in medical training. "There is a list of things we talked about," Hoke said. That includes new computers. "As you know, newer computers go a lot faster," he said.

Hoke's head coaching record

San Diego State

2010: 8-4

2009: 4-8

Ball State

2008: 12-1

2007: 7-6

2006: 5-7

2005: 4-7

2004: 2-9

2003: 4-8

San Diego's bowl games

San Diego State has agreed to give football coach Brady Hoke a pay increase, possibly up to $1 million annually, plus many other upgrades, including facility renovations, salary increases for his assistant coaches and two more years on his contract through 2015.

It’s all part of the Aztecs “football excellence plan,” announced Monday, much of which was made possible by a potential $5 million “challenge gift” from donor Ron Fowler and family. The first $1 million of that donation is scheduled to arrive by early next year, with more coming in later years depending on whether other donors match Fowler’s pledges.

Hoke said he was “humbled” by it.

“This is a great day for us as a staff,” Hoke said.

Even so, questions continued to loom about a possible opening at the University of Michigan within the next month. Hoke coached there as an assistant coach from 1995 to 2002. Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon said he will wait until after the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1 to decide the fate of coach Rich Rodriguez. After Jan. 1, it would also be cheaper to fire Rodriguez, whose contract buyout then decreases from $4 million to $2.5 million.

If Michigan called, would Hoke listen?

“They don’t have an opening,” Hoke said.

What if they do soon?

“We wouldn’t have signed a contract today,” Hoke said, implying his new deal shows his commitment.

Hoke said neither he nor his agent have spoken with Michigan. Hoke said he only talked with one other school, Minnesota, which sent its athletic director to San Diego last month to talk to Hoke about the job opening there. Minnesota filled that opening Monday by hiring Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill. Hoke may be a candidate at Michigan if Michigan fires Rodriguez and doesn’t hire Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, a former Michigan quarterback.

“I think if they (Michigan) were going to make a change, they would have done it,” SDSU Athletic Director Jim Sterk said.

The football upgrades were part of a “retention package” to keep Hoke amid the job talk and follow through on discussions Sterk has had with Hoke on advancing the program. Sterk said he will make the decisions on how to use the donation.

Some of particulars include:

--The buyout to end Hoke’s contract -- if another school hired him -- will stay at $1.5 million through next year, Sterk said. His current contract had been scheduled to go down to $1 million after Dec. 15.

--Hoke’s guaranteed salary may increase to around $850,000 or more, up from $700,000, but he could earn over $1 million with incentives. Sterk said $1 million was the major college football average. Details are still being worked out. In 2005, SDSU head coach Tom Craft made about $400,000.

--Assistant coaches will get salary increases. Offensive coordinator Al Borges and defensive coordinator Rocky Long last year made $205,000. Other assistants made around $118,000.

Hoke said the upgrades weren’t about his personal compensation but rather improving the program, which will make its first bowl appearance since 1998 when it plays in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl against Navy on Dec. 23. Hoke’s two-year record at SDSU is 12-12, including 8-4 this year. His SDSU teams have only beaten one opponent that finished with a winning record: Air Force, which finished 8-4.

“We’re far, far from where we want to be (as a program),” Hoke said. “I mean, we haven’t even scratched the surface. So we’ve got a lot of work to do, and lot of work that we’re looking forward to do here in San Diego.”

Hoke said some potential recruits did ask him about his status after his talk with Minnesota.

“That’s always delicate to some degree,” Hoke said. “But the one thing we assured them: We went out and recruited their son with all the intention to coach them and develop them.”

Asked if he was offered the Minnesota job, Hoke didn’t say yes or no. “We had a casual conversation,” he said.

Said junior linebacker Miles Burris: "We felt confident he'd continue to be our head coach. He told us he was 100 percent committed to us and that's all we needed to hear."